by David Bohl

Did you ever hold someone in high regard as a friend, confidant, and/or advisor, only to have that person turn out to be nothing like who you thought they were? No doubt, a break in trust like this can be devastating.

Unfortunately, once we’ve been “burned,” it can be tough to start over with a clean slate and a fresh pair of rose colored glasses. And yet, that’s exactly what we need to do if we plan on living a happy and successful life!

The truth is, as much as we’d like to say that we’re independent, people need other people. We need them for comfort, we need them for connection (between each other, and as a bridge to other great minds who might be able to enrich us in some way)… we need them for inspiration. And quite simply, we need other people to help us get where we want to be in life.

Knowing this, when is the last time you asked yourself: Who’s on my team? Who can I count on when the going gets tough… who accepts me for who I am? Who opens up their mind and heart to my thoughts and feelings… who is willing to share their dreams with me?

Read Post

by David Bohl, Life Coach and Lifestyle Designer

I know it sounds cliche… but the power of positive thinking really does bring an avalanche of wonderful things pouring into your life.

From your job to your marriage to your social life to your personal interests… it pays to start listening to what your Inner Opportunist has to say.
Think for a moment about a company who lays off thousands of its employees–some that have worked at the company for 20 years. Debbie, one of these employees was the marketing manager of the company. She is laid off after giving 10 years of her professional life to the company–increasing its sales, hiring and mentoring an entire marketing area, and being at the company’s beck and call.

Read Post

From my article How to Design Your Life at The Change Blog:

There are no guarantees that life will turn out the way you want… but you have a better chance of it turning out how you want if you know how to design your own life.

I like the image of an architect designing a building by first laying out the blueprints. Or a writer outlining a book starting with the table of contents. The ability to create from scratch is a powerful feeling. The house emerges from a sheet of drawings. The book takes shape from the imagination of the writer.

Can you really design your own life in much the same way the architect designs a house and the writer designs a book? 

Read the rest of How to Design Your Life.

by David Bohl, Lifestyle Redesign Expert

Maybe it’s a famous wedding planner, talk show host, or a local business man or woman. Whoever it is you admire, and want to be like, has qualities that you want to possess. You may already have these qualities but just haven’t freed them from within yourself yet. Selecting someone who you look up to, who can serve as a mentor or even just a connection who might be able to open doors of opportunity for you, is something worth investigating.

Now comes the question: how do you get Extremely Successful and Busy People to notice you?

Get over the fear.

Before you do anything: let go of the fear. Humans have a habit of putting other humans upon a pedestal, perhaps falsely perceiving that they are somehow unworthy of said successful person’s attention?

So what if they’re famous? They’re still human like you. Whoever they may be “to the public,” they’ve still got a mother and a father, a family to care for, bills to pay and a little child inside of their own head who pipes up every now and again wanting attention and recognition in the most basic of ways.

Read Post

by David Bohl, Personal Coach and Lifestyle Designer

All of the major changes in life and society, like the Civil Rights Movement, the call to save the environment, and even women obtaining the right to vote, did not just happen on their own.

People didn’t just sit back and say, “Man, that isn’t how it should be. I’m just going to stand back and see what happens.” These changes came about because someone stood up and said, “I am going to make a change and this is what I am going to do.”

You, too, have visions of a changed world for you, your family, and your children. You want to see a safer, more environmentally friendly, and peaceful world to live in. You want to see all of these changes, but you really want and need is to become the change that you want to see. You have to do your part to implement the change and influence others to create the change as well. No matter what the change is that you want to see occur, there are ways that you can become the change instead of just being a spectator. Change is not a spectator sport.

Read Post

by personal coach David Bohl

With the economy in a slump and questions of whether or not we are in a recession, many Americans are worried about their personal financial situations. The good news is that you don’t just have to sit there and take it under the chin allowing the economy to control you. There are steps that you can take and things that you can do to benefit from a bad economy.

Invest in foreclosures

The housing market has also seen the ill effects of a bad economy. Property values are decreasing, homeowners can’t afford to pay their mortgages, and for sale signs are popping up all over America. Many homes are even being foreclosed upon, so there are banks and mortgage lenders all over the country that now own property and aren’t in the real estate business. They want to sell these properties fast and as cheap as they can. You can benefit from this part of the bad economy by buying and investing in one or several foreclosed properties. You can buy a home of your own at a reduced price or you can buy homes to fix and resell or rent.

Read Post

Save Time, Energy & Money!

by David Bohl

Whether economic times are abundant or tight, it’s always an advantage to be a savvy consumer. And whether or not your budget is abundant or tight, it’s always beneficial to know how to shop effectively.

I remember reading The Millionaire Next Door and was surprised to find that a common trait of most millionaires was thrift. I think that’s how a lot of them became millionaires. To me, thrift means spending only when you need to and spending only what you need to.

Read Post

Your marriage is on the rocks. You lost your job. Your best friend isn’t talking to you.

You hurt your back. You are one month away from foreclosure on your home. Your child is sick. Your father died.

Any one of these experiences is traumatic. More than one occurring at the same time could put you into a tailspin. It is really important that you can look deep into yourself and see that some of these things are beyond your control — while others are completely in your power to fix.

Grieving the Unavoidable

Some things, like the death of a friend or family member, are just completely out of your hands. In this instance, it is simply your job to grieve. Too many times I have seen people stoic at the funeral of a parent. They seem to go on with their lives and are praised for being “so strong,” yet they let it eat away at them and feel absolutely miserable on the inside, for years. Even the loss of a job, or the collapse of a relationship, may require a period of grieving in order to understand, and grow from, the emotions that come from such a parting. Any time you experience suffering and loss, you should give your soul the time it needs to mourn, purge, cleanse, and heal.

Read Post

by David Bohl

Do you find yourself longing for closeness in your relationships?

Are you one of the many people today who maybe spends a little too much time on the computer, and not enough time connecting in-person with like minds and kindred souls?

Maybe it’s been so long since you’ve had someone to confide in that you wouldn’t know a good friend if you fell over one?

Or, maybe you’ve been burned in relationships - and you find it hard to trust.

One thing that we need to remember is that all people are different. In terms of friendship, past experience cannot necessarily predict current situations. Sure, if you were hurt by someone who you were close to or trusted, absolutely it’s going to be difficult to open yourself up to new relationships…it’s only human nature. But closing yourself off is not the answer. There are too many wonderful people in the world who can influence your life for the better. Here’s how to find them.

Read Post

from Personal Coach David Bohl

When I was thinking about writing on this subject, I thought about how subjective this actually is. Anyone who is on the quest for a better life most likely has their bookshelves overflowing with “self-help” or “personal growth” books. And if you’re just beginning the journey on your quest for a better life, then you may be looking for someone to help you find the best books out of the thousands that shout down at you from the bookshelves in the personal growth section of your local bookstore.

You may also have gotten recommendations from friends and associates claiming, “You’ve got to read this book. It’s changed my life!” So either you said, “I’m so happy for you,” and ignored their request, or you ran to the bookstore or Amazon.com, bought the book, only to leave it languishing on your already full bookshelf. Or you read it and said, “What’s the big deal? I don’t get it.”

Therefore, choosing a reading list for you is a difficult task. The books we read are a very personal choice. We listen to recommendations, yet, what affects others may not affect us in the same way. Additionally, your quest might be to improve your physical well-being, your wealth, your relationships, your business, or your mental or emotional health. Whatever your focus is on, will ultimately determine the books that will have the greatest impact on you.

That said, the ones I have chosen are classics, so millions of people have endorsed them. Still that doesn’t mean they will change your life, but they may have some impact on you, at least to get you thinking and reading, and maybe lead you to other books that will support your quest for a better life.

So here is my list. With these 5 books, you can’t go wrong. They may become some of your top favorites as well.

Read Post